Get Summer Camp Ready!

04/29/2015 14:09
● Published by Sandy Kauten

When
we were kids, summer camp meant something different to us than it does to our
children. For us, camp meant camp: cabins or tents, canoeing, hiking,
singing songs around a campfire, and general camaraderie. Children today are
much more active, much more schedule-oriented, and generally just busier.
Consequently, the very dynamics of summer camp have changed. Camps offered now
are much more focused and detail oriented. There’s soccer camp, art camp,
violin camp, space camp, leadership camp, paleontology camp, etc.

But
there are some things about camp that truly haven’t changed, like the general
apprehension your son or daughter might feel the first time they attend camp.
Here’s what seasoned camp veterans had to say to children that are going off to
camp for the first time.

Everyone
Gets Homesick

Some
kids handle being away from home better than others. In a dorm room with 9
other campers, fourth grader Dakota Lopez recalls 2-3 kids that got homesick.
“We felt bad for them, but we all tried to make them feel better. We brought
them junk food and soda.” It’s a great opportunity for the kids that don’t get
homesick to step up and show their sympathy, and their new friendship skills.
And the ones that do get homesick learn just how much they can rely on their
peers to get them through difficulties. It’s a great learning experience for
all campers. “I didn’t like missing my mom,” said 10 year old Michael. “But
when the kids cheered me up instead of teasing me, I felt better.”

Learn
Something New

As
a sixth-grader, Elise Finlinson is a seasoned camper. She’s been attending
summer camps since she was in first grade. “Camp is great because you get to
explore things you wouldn’t get to do in school or learn about,” she says with
a smile. Elise has found a new love of art that wasn’t cultivated during the
school year, but has stuck with her since last summer’s camp. She has since
expanded her knowledge and delved into different artistic mediums with the help
of an art teacher she sees outside of school.

Dakota
reminisced about the sketches she and her roommates were tasked with writing
and performing at Soccer Camp last summer. “It was SO COOL!” she said. “We got
to perform it in front of all the other campers and the coaches. That was the
best part of camp.” It was also unexpected. She was expecting all things
soccer. But her favorite memory from Soccer camp had nothing to do with soccer.

Have
Fun

This
sounds like a pretty straightforward bit of advice, but sometimes children need
to be reminded to have a little fun, lest they get caught up in the stress of
the “new.” A new environment, new rules, new daily activities and routines. “I
love camp!” says five year old Anna Finlinson. “I don’t ever miss my mom
because I’m too busy having fun.” Anna attended Princess Dance camp last
summer, and is looking forward to “more and more and more camp” this summer. “I
didn’t think I would like the hiking, but it ended up being pretty cool” said
Michael.

Don’t
Be Shy

One
of the best parts about summer camp is the ability to “make new friends,” says
Dakota Lopez, a fourth grader. “Some of them I’m still friends with from last
summer’s soccer camp.” Every child I asked had the same bit of advice right
from the start: don’t be shy. “Camp only lasts a week, and if you wait
until the last few days of camp to make friends, you’ve missed out on half the
fun” says Elise.

Regardless
of the type of camp you and your children have chosen, make sure they make the
most of it. It will go by faster than either one of you expect. If your child
can embrace the opportunities presented before him, he will have a much more
enriched experience. Elise says that “summer camp is much cooler than regular
school because although we’re still learning stuff, we’re not stuck behind a
desk all day.”

Even
Michael, who was the most apprehensive about attending summer camp, says he
would “do it again” this summer. He found confidence and security in knowing he
can rely upon himself, and trust in his peers to help him if he feels homesick.
“Riding horses was pretty cool too,” he proffered.

While
summer camp may only last a week or so, the memories really do last a lifetime.
See for yourself: ask any child you know about their summer camp experiences
and you’ll see their faces light up with the memories. Have your first time
camper talk to other children that have already attended. They are more than
willing to share their experiences and their energy and excitement about it can
be quite contagious!

Kimberly Carlson is a published author,
blogger, and mother of two. One of her kids loves camping in the mountains and
snow while her other kid loves camping in the forest – in the summertime, of
course!